Kim Possible: December 31st
by MrDrP
Summary: Kim and Ron haven't seen each other in years.  Then their paths cross on New Year's Eve in New York ... Action, adventure, romance, villains, filberts ... It's all here!  [COMPLETE]
1. The Pegasus Room

Dear readers, a little something for New Year's. The story's three chapters long and will be posted over three consecutive days. Enjoy – and have a wonderful 2006!

Thanks to campy for everything. Have a glass of bubbly on me.

Leave a review, and you'll get a personal response or your money back. Guaranteed!

You saw it on _KP_, it belongs to Disney

* * *

I.

Kim Possible looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was 25, possessed a glorious mane of auburn hair, large emerald eyes, and a dazzling smile. Her figure had not changed since her days as a high school cheerleader – nor her height. She had her nana's compact physique, which was a boon to her in her line of work; a lower center of gravity was always an asset in a fight. She was girl-next-door pretty, youthful looking, and the darling of photographers around the world. In short, she couldn't help but like what she saw.

She was wearing a classic black cocktail party dress, a string of pearls and a pair of pearl earrings. She smiled wistfully as she noticed the earrings; Ron had given them to her eight years ago. She missed him. He'd been her best friend and her first love. _But that was then and this is now_, she thought with regret as she checked her make-up in the ladies' room of one of New York's premier restaurants, _The Pegasus Room_, located atop Rockefeller Center's Art Deco RCA Building. It had been quite a coup for Adam to get them New Year's Eve reservations; even astronauts like her current boyfriend had to wheel and deal to get tables at this eatery located 65 stories above mid-town Manhattan.

Kim reached to put a stray hair back in place, then noticed the earrings again. She sighed. _Ron._ _Why am I missing him so much right now?_ she asked herself, knowing the answer all too well.

It was New Year's Eve.

II.

The night was cold and clear as Kim and Ron left Monique's. Mr. Dr. P, feeling generous and knowing he could trust his daughter's boyfriend, had given Kim a 1:00 am curfew. The two teens left the party a bit after 11:00 and walked, hand in hand, until they found themselves at the base of the old tree house. They looked knowingly at one another, then proceeded up to their aerie.

They could see their breath when they exhaled but that just gave them more reason to cuddle. They opened their parkas and drew close to one another, looking into each other's eyes, then began kissing.

After a while, Ron opened a bottle of sparkling cider and the two teens exchanged silly toasts to the future and to one another. They kissed again. And again. And again.

They turned the Kimmunicator on and tuned in the New Year's broadcast from New York, joining in the countdown as midnight approached and celebrating the new year by making out some more.

When they came up for air, Ron reached into his pocket and withdrew a small box for Kim.

"I got these for you, KP," he said with a sheepish grin.

"Ron, you didn't have to …" she replied.

"I know. That's why I did. Now c'mon, open it," he said.

Kim tore off the paper, removed the lid and cooed. "They're beautiful!"

Ron smiled as Kim removed the earrings from the box and put them on.

"Maybe someday we can go to New York and you can wear them there!" Ron suggested.

"That's a spankin' idea, Ron," Kim responded, before she embraced him and gave him an extra special New Year's kiss.

III.

That had been their only New Year's together as a couple. The spring came, Kim got into all of her top-choice colleges and began to think about her future. She was very attached to Ron but began to wonder if he had what she needed in a long-term partner. Sure, he was sweet and loyal. But he wasn't exactly bright and could be lazy. She had her whole life before her and wanted to get the most out of it. But she hesitated on doing anything about their relationship until Global Justice offered her – and her alone – a position that would be structured around her college studies.

Kim broke things off with Ron; she knew he was hurt, even devastated, despite the brave face he put on for her. They tried to be friends, but that proved difficult. One of the saddest moments of Kim's life was when she came home one day during that summer before college to find a parcel from Ron containing his mission clothes, grappling gun and Kimmunicator.

She gulped as she read the accompanying note:

_Dear Kim,_

_I thought long and hard about this, but I just can't do this any more. It hurts too much. You need a partner who can keep his head in the game, and I can't do that when I'm with you. I want things to be different for us, but you've made your choice and I respect that. I'll always be your best friend, but I think I need to start doing stuff on my own, so I can get used to things when you're gone this fall._

_Love,_

_Ron_

_p.s. I hope you don't mind if I keep the jetpack. It's the coolest thing you ever gave me and I'd like a memory of our time together. Besides, it was too big to wrap up._

Kim cried that afternoon, and questioned what she had done, but concluded she had made the right decision. In just a few weeks she would be leaving Middleton for college. She was Kim Possible, and she had a bright future ahead of her. She just hoped that future could still include Ron's friendship.

IV.

Kim went off to college and quickly became involved in multiple clubs and activities. She double majored in political science and pre-med. And she began to go on missions with GJ. Out in the field she learned new skills, dealt with new foes. Her life was full and fulfilling. She made new friends, dated new guys. And she slowly fell out of touch with Ron.

At first they spent time on the phone, then they exchanged emails, then holiday cards. They would occasionally check in on one another through Wade or Monique. But their lives had taken different paths and the once unimaginable happened: they drifted apart as Kim became ever more involved with her new life and Ron found it difficult to deal with the reality that he and Kim were no longer dating or even close.

After college, Kim became a full-time Global Justice operative. She knew that Ron had gone to cooking school in California and learned that he had taken a job as a chef in Malibu. Kim began thinking about reviving her friendship with Ron; she had hoped to see him and her other Middleton friends at their Middleton High Fifth Reunion, but missed the event when a mission took her to Sumatra. And much to her frustration, she missed Monique and Felix's wedding because of a sitch in Antarctica involving DNAmy, penguins and walruses. She considered contacting and visiting him – Wade, Monique, and her parents all knew where he was – but something always came up – and when finally she was ready to act, her mother, of all people, told her that he'd finally adjusted to life without her and unless she was ready to fully invest herself in a romantic relationship with him, it would probably be for the best if she left Ron alone.

Kim wasn't ready to date Ron again and so instead she allowed herself to mourn the loss of him in her life, though she didn't have too much time to dwell on the subject: she was, after all, a very busy young woman. Her work for Global Justice kept her in the field. And due to her looks and fame, she became the public face of the organization (much to the eternal annoyance of Will Du, formerly GJ's top agent). She was on television, magazine covers, even tabloids. She was invited to movie premières and state dinners at the White House. And so, she plunged back into her Ron-less life.

Kim had more suitors than she could handle: in fact, she was in hottie heaven. But she'd learned enough about herself to know that she didn't just want looks – she wanted substance. She'd actually learned that from Ron, the first guy who ever cared about her because of who she was, not what she did or how she looked. So she was choosy and picky, looking for the right man. She thought Adam Carlisle, her current boyfriend, had potential: he was an astronaut with great hair, perfect teeth, a Wade-level IQ and a nice disposition. They had been dating for about two months and it looked like there was the possibility of things getting truly serious.

But it was New Year's Eve. And so Kim found herself doing what she did every December 31st: thinking about her one-time best friend and first love Ron Stoppable. In the early years, she just had fond memories, but more recently, she found herself entertaining regrets over what might have been. She wondered where he was and what he was doing.

V.

Ron Stoppable splashed some water on his face before washing his hands. He was bushed but exhilarated. He'd reached the big leagues: associate executive chef in a four-star Manhattan eatery. The restaurant was packed to capacity, not surprising on a New Year's Eve. He was satisfied working that night. Long ago he'd made his peace with the failure of things to work out the way he'd wanted with Kim and accepted that she didn't have room for him in her life. He'd been hurt, then angry, then depressed, then finally reconciled to reality. Ron Stoppable was, if anything, surprisingly resilient. Prone to melodrama, perhaps, but able to bounce back.

Ron always knew Kim was a go-getter destined for truly great things. He took pride in knowing he'd played a bit role in helping Kim become who she was and treasured the fact that he was her first love. Yet New Year's Eve still caused him pain. They'd never had that night together in New York and he knew they never would. So ever since that first year alone and his discovery of how much he hated peppermint schnapps he'd kept himself busy on December 31st. This year he was able to do so in style, knowing he was cooking for some of the most famous and powerful people in the world.

But what was making this night truly remarkable for Ron was the fact that he was running the show. His boss, Henri, had to have an emergency appendectomy that afternoon, so Ron found himself as the lead chef. And based on the reports he was getting from the waiters, he had a dining room of very satisfied patrons.

Ron looked at his image in the mirror. It had taken awhile, but he'd ultimately done okay for himself. Life was good. He had a small loft just a few blocks away near the Empire State Building and a glittering culinary future; he even had dates now – women seemed to like going out with a guy who could legitimately claim to be a gourmet cook.

But it was New Year's Eve, the one night Ron was willing to admit something was missing from his life, something that had been gone a long time that he wished he could get back: Kim. _I wonder where she is?_ he asked himself as he pushed open the bathroom door.

VI.

Kim meant to turn right but, lost in her thoughts about Ron, turned left as she exited the ladies' room. She realized she was heading to the kitchen, turned to head back into the dining room, and was surprised when she bumped into someone.

"Excuse me," she said before she realized who she'd just walked into. "Ron?"

The man looked at her. "Kim?"

They both stood there silently for a moment.

"W–what are you doing here?" they both asked.

Without even thinking, Kim said, "Jinx! You owe me a soda!"

Ron gawped at Kim, but soon found himself grinning. "Awww man, I will never win," he said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "I work here. I'm the associate executive chef."

Kim noticed how Ron puffed out his chest and had to stifle a giggle. She wasn't sure what to say – but she knew what she wanted to do. "Well don't just stand there," she insisted, "give me a hug!" Much to her relief, he complied. After a moment they pulled apart.

Ron couldn't help but appreciate Kim; he had flashbacks to their moodulator-inspired date those many years ago and the little black dress she'd worn that very strange night. And he noticed she was wearing the earrings he'd given her on that New Year's Eve so long ago. "You're looking badical, Kim."

She blushed a bit, finding herself enjoying the attention from her former boyfriend. "Thanks. It's the GJ exercise plan. Chase a villain, scale a mountain, chase another villain …"

Ron chuckled. "My way's easier. Sit in front of the TV, press the button, blow up the zombie!"

Kim rolled her eyes. "Still with the Zombie Mayhem?" she cracked.

"On-line edition!" he said enthusiastically. "I am still da zombie-slaying man! I kicked Felix's butt last week," he added with unfeigned pride.

"You are too much, Ron Stoppable." Kim felt like she was resuming a conversation she'd broken off five minutes, not seven years, ago, experiencing a level of calm and comfort she'd forgotten she'd once enjoyed, even taken for granted.

"Yeah," Ron said, looking at Kim, as he realized all of his old desires were resurfacing. Desires he knew could never be fulfilled. "So, uh, you here with that astronaut?"

"Uh, yeah, how'd you know …" she answered, suddenly feeling uncomfortable, wishing that Ron didn't know about Adam.

"_Weekly World Wonder_, aisle six of the Foody Faire. Just tell me that the two of you aren't going to be the parents of two-headed mutant monkey boys." Much to Kim's amusement, Ron still shuddered when he said 'monkey.'

"No monkeys in my future, Ron," she said.

"Good. Look, I have to get back to the kitchen. I'm actually, uh, running things tonight. I'll make sure you guys get a good dessert, on the house."

"Thanks," she said, a catch in her throat.

Kim was now looking into Ron's eyes, wanting, with a force she found surprising, to kiss him and to be held by him, as memories of that New Year's Eve in the tree house returned, memories of a time before she began to worry so much about her future and had enjoyed being a young woman in love with her goofy best friend. She'd missed his lopsided grin. She'd missed those eyes. And the ears. She'd always had that weird thing for his ears; they only seemed larger and more enticing now that he had sideburns. And most of all she was missing his "essential Ron-ness" as he had called it. She was feeling very confused by the sudden rush of emotion, yet at the same time she felt a dawning clarity.

Ron, looking into Kim's eyes, thought, at least hoped, he sensed something. He knew what he wanted. He'd never stopped wanting it since they were teen-agers.

Slowly they drew together, forgetting where they were.

"Ron …" Kim said huskily.

"KP …" he said, his body shaking.

They closed their eyes and opened their mouths. They could feel the heat of one another's bodies, the warmth of each other's breath. Their lips drew near.

_Beep-beep-be-beep._

_Beep-beep-be-beep._

Two sets of eyes popped open.

Kim growled, "This so cannot be happening …"

"Yeah, I understand," Ron said, misunderstanding Kim. The fantasy had been nice, he thought, even if it had lasted only a few seconds. Kim had her astronaut and her high-powered life to return to; she wasn't going to throw that away for a kiss with an old boyfriend outside of a bathroom, and he didn't expect her to. "Look, I, uh, should go …" Ron said, looking deflated.

He was turning to go when Kim, realizing what must be going through Ron's head, grabbed his arm. She'd seen that look on his face once before, when she broke up with him; she knew then she never wanted to see it again. And she knew then without any doubt that she wanted him back in her life.

"Ron, I think we need to talk about …"

_Beep-beep-be-beep._

_Beep-beep-be-beep._

Ron turned and looked at Kim and, seeing the expression on her face, took a deep breath. Maybe it wasn't a fantasy after all. As if readying himself to do battle with every monkey ninja in the world, Ron steeled himself, then uttered the word he didn't think he'd ever say again, at least in this context.

"Us?"

Kim smiled and nodded.

"You, you, really mean that?" he asked.

Kim, still smiling, let her hand, which had been gripping his arm, drop down to Ron's hand, which she took and squeezed.

Ron grinned. "Okay, I'd like that. But I've got a kitchen filled with probably now frantic _sous chefs_ and you'd better not keep Wade – I assume that's who's calling you – waiting. I think a lot of people here would freak out if a Wade-bot showed up in the dining room looking for you!"

Kim wanted to say something, anything, but found herself at a loss for words. Instead, she just continued smiling at Ron. In the course of just a few minutes, Kim Possible's life had been turned upside down. She didn't care though; she felt like something incredibly precious she'd been careless with and lost may have just been returned to her. This was proving to be a truly memorable New Year's Eve. What neither she nor Ron knew was just how memorable it would be …

_TBC …_


	2. Times Square

Thanks to Calamite, Zaratan, strength-91-possibility-none, Josh84, JeanieBeanie33, mattb3671, Moss Royal, kpandron, mobius97, Louis Mielke, campy, surfost, daywalkr82, WhiteLadyoftheRing, Yuri Sisteble, Darkcloud1, qtpie235, jasminevr, momike, Ezbok58a, zipporahvulcan, conan98002, whitem, and JMAN2.0 for reviewing.

Thanks to campy for proofing and beta-reading.

Leave a review, and you'll get a personal response or your money back. Still guaranteed!

You saw it on _KP_, it belongs to Disney

* * *

I.

Kim watched as Ron retreated into the kitchen, then took a deep breath. _Get your head in the game, Possible_, she told herself before answering the Kimmunicator.

"Kim, is everything okay?" Wade asked; Kim usually didn't take so long in answering a call unless something was going on.

"It's spankin', Wade. I think," she answered, smiling. "Some unexpected developments …"

"Ron-type developments?" he asked impishly.

"What? How did you know?" Kim asked.

"Hey, so sue me for 'forgetting' that Ron had just moved to New York and taken a job at the four-star restaurant Captain Kirk wanted to take you to …"

"Did you set us up?" Kim asked.

"Whoa!" Wade said, holding up his hands defensively. "Even I'm not that good. Though maybe I did hack into the reservation system to make sure you got a table and I did just kinda hope that maybe you'd run into each other and maybe start talking again. And maybe I did have a Plan B," he said before adding, "So I'll take it you and Ron did talk!" he suggested with an eager grin.

"Yes. And it's all ferociously confusing, but good," Kim responded, her cheeks reddening, much to Wade's amusement. "Now I'm assuming you didn't call just to dish dirt, so sitch me, please and thank you," she said.

Wade's happy expression was quickly displaced by one of concern. "Looks like Drakken's planning something in New York tonight, Kim. I received a report of a stolen mind-control beam from the Army …"

"And they're developing this stuff, why?" Kim muttered to herself.

"… and a missing fractal control device from Go City University. There's also a report of a missing molecular size adjustor."

"A what?"

"Garden variety ray beam that makes things really, really big."

Kim groaned. _This is so not good_, she thought. "Any idea what he's planning on doing?" she asked.

"Well, if you were Drakken and you had a mind-control beam and a device that can disperse it over a large area and you could super-size things …" Wade said.

"I'd probably be whack enough to want to create an army of zombie giants … Wade, I bet he's going to strike in Times Square!"

"Makes sense, Kim. There will be thousands of people there and he could use the ball to spread the beams …"

"Okay, I'm on it." Kim ended the call and put the Kimmunicator back into her bag. She was tempted to ask Ron to join her, if only for old times' sake, but she knew he had his own job to do. She was excited, impressed, and pleased that Ron had done so well for himself; he was making use of his talents, something she'd so wanted to see him do after she became comfortable with the notion of Ron's being able to do some things better than she could.

Anyway, this was just Drakken. After all these years, she knew she could handle him on her own. Besides, creating an army of super-sized party-animal giants struck her as being so incredibly lame that the plot should be practically self-foiling.

Kim went back to the dining room and found Adam. He looked up at Kim.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"No. I just got a call from GJ. Drakken's on the loose."

"You want me to wait?"

"Uh, sure, I should be back soon. He's here in New York, actually."

"Really?" he said, a look of – fright? – on his handsome face.

Kim suddenly realized that Adam, like all of the guys she'd dated since breaking up with Ron (save the Navy SEAL), had never suggested coming on one of her missions. She'd always assumed it was their respect for her professional abilities. (The SEAL had not only offered to come on a mission, but wanted to take charge, greatly tweaking Kim, but not as much when he tried to 'debrief' her; not surprisingly, there were no more dates.) But now, having just seen Ron, who was so easily scared yet always ready to follow her into the field, Kim wondered if it might be something else. Maybe Adam and the others, with all their guts – Adam, for example, did fly into space – were so afraid of the blue-skinned freak that they'd just as soon let others like Kim – _and Ron_ – deal with him. It was a stark reminder of how different she and, once again, Ron were from most other people.

"Yes," she finally answered. "Just a few blocks from here."

"Well, go get him, Kim."

"I will, Adam," Kim said. "And Adam, we, uh, we, uh …" she continued, feeling like she was about to jump from a plane without a parachute yet knowing she would still land on her own two feet unharmed, "we need to … talk."

The look in Adam's face told Kim that he understood what she was saying. She hadn't planned on saying that when they came for dinner, but then again she hadn't planned on running into Ron. She didn't expect to find Adam at the table when she returned. And much to her surprise, as nice a guy as he was, that didn't bother her.

Because when she returned she planned to be talking to Ron.

II.

It was just a few minutes before midnight and Times Square was a teeming scene of raucous, partying humanity. Nobody paid much attention to the hover car, assuming it belonged to security or one of the TV networks.

"Doctor D, you want to remind me why I'm missing Adrena Lynn's _Freaky New Year's Eve_?" a skeptical, claw-filing Shego asked. The beautiful henchwoman found herself wondering if the annoying TV personality didn't have the right idea. Adrena Lynn was thwarted by the Princess years ago and did a stint in jail, only to come out of the Big House able to parlay her now notorious rep into a revived broadcasting career.

"Because, Shego," a graying Dr. Drakken replied, "in just a few minutes, when the ball drops, all of these people, and everyone watching on television, will become my mind-controlled minions, ready to do my bidding! With them under my control I will finally be able to take over the world!"

"Uh huh. Yeah. Take over the world with a bunch of drunk kids and the least attractive TV-watching demographic. You think we could just skip to your next lame-o plan?"

"Shego, you hurt me with your words. Now here, put on these goggles," the mad scientist said, as he handed his glamorous sidekick special lenses designed to block the effects of the mind-control ray.

III.

Kim elbowed her way through the crowds, looking for some sign of Drakken. She suspected her arch foe would be somewhere nearby. The Great White Way was awash in light, a sea of neon and lurid video. Kim suddenly wished Ron were with her. She knew this was a lousy time to be waxing nostalgic about their mission work, but she couldn't deny what she was feeling. _Well_, she thought. _I'll finish this off and then Ron and I can talk …_

Suspecting that Drakken wouldn't be mixing it up with the hordes, she looked up. Above her she saw helicopters and booms and – behind the immense animatronic giraffe over the entrance to the toy store – one blue hover car.

_Gotcha!_ Kim thought.

She whipped out her new, improved travel dryer grappler and fired at one of the trusses supporting the outsized toy-store mascot. People gasped as she flew up into the sky.

"Look, it's Kim Possible!" someone shouted. Before long, people were clamoring and pointing in her direction. Then, the TV people saw what was happening. Suddenly, Kim's image was on the giant monitors surrounding Times Square.

"Kim Possible!" the blue-skinned scientist exclaimed as he saw multiple larger-than-life images of his long-time nemesis.

"Gee, what a surprise, Doc," Shego said snidely as she fired up her hands. The glamorous henchwoman scanned the immediate area, then spotted Kim, who was standing on a girder. "Well, looks like Princess wants to party with the big kids tonight!" she said as she launched herself in Kim's direction.

"As if," Kim replied, with a smirk. "In fact, your party's over, Shego. Why don't you and Drakken just give up now so everyone else can enjoy themselves? I'll even be nice and not tell anyone about those glasses you're wearing. So last decade."

"Really? I rather like them, Kimmie. They're all the rage for people who like to think for themselves. Which won't include you in a few minutes," Shego, wearing her predator's grin, said, inadvertently confirming for Kim what Drakken was planning.

Kim knew she now had two options: get to the hovercar and retrieve the mind-control controller from Drakken or take out the ball before midnight. Kim decided that the growth ray could wait; Drakken had no incentive to super-size the crowd if he couldn't control them.

IV.

Somebody in the kitchen had turned on the television so the staff could watch the countdown.

"Hey!" one of the _sous chefs_ called out. "It's Kim Possible!"

"What?" Ron said, his head snapping around to the TV. He saw Kim and Shego battling it out on a girder. Shego still had the moves, he saw. And Kim wasn't exactly dressed for a fight. He made a decision and took off his chef's hat. "Armand, you're in charge."

"Huh?" the young cook said.

"KP needs me. It's a teen hero-sidekick thing," Ron said as he bolted out of the kitchen.

V.

Ron raced towards Times Square. Thanks to the live broadcast he just saw on TV, he knew exactly where Kim was. Ron had already bought quite a few video games at the giant "We B Toys" store since he'd moved to Manhattan six weeks earlier.

He could see Kim and Shego were still fighting; he knew it was a long shot, but he waved at Kim. Then he saw Kim execute a flawless triple somersault into the hover car.

VI.

_You rock, Ron_, Kim thought as she landed in the hovercar. Having him on the scene would make things much easier.

"Give it. Now!" Kim ordered.

"Nuh uh, Kimberly Ann. You will not foil me this …"

Drakken was cut off as Kim pivoted and kicked the device from his hand.

"Noooooo!" he cried out as he watched the controller tumble end-over-end downwards.

Both Shego and Ron saw what had happened. The green-skinned henchwoman launched herself down to the street below; the crowd parted as she landed on her feet, her hands aglow. Ron, without the benefit of comet-induced powers, elbowed his way forward.

"Excuse me … pardon me ... Hey! I'm gonna need those! … Aw, c'mon get out of the way … 'Scuse me …"

"Aargh! The buffoon!" she snarled in frustration when she saw Ron advancing on the device. "What are you doing here?"

"New Year's resolution: Come out of retirement," he said as he lunged and grabbed the unit. "Got it! Who's da man? I'm da man!"

"Not for long, sidekick," Shego growled.

Ron, not sure what to do, decided to fall back on an always reliable course of action: he smashed the controller against the pavement.

"You're going to regret that, Stoppable!" Shego snarled.

"Hey! You remembered my name!" he said with pride, not noticing that Shego's attention, along with that of everyone else, had suddenly turned in another direction.

Ron, curious, turned to look at whatever it was that drew Shego's eyes away from him.

"That is sick and wrong," Ron muttered as he looked at the five-story-tall squirrel. "That is wrong-sick!"

Wrong-sick or not, it was headed straight for Kim and the hovercar.

VII.

Drakken saw it first.

"Aiiiiiieeeeee!" he squealed.

At first Kim thought Drakken might be trying to play her, but then she heard the roar. Or, to be more exact, the very loud chittering. She turned around.

"Okay, that's different," she observed.

"Sq-sq-sq …" Drakken stammered.

"Squirrel, Drakken. It's a squirrel. A ferociously big one," she said, pulling out the Kimmunicator. "Wade, Drakken's been foiled, but now we've got some level ten weirdness. Looks like somebody else stole the growth ray."

"Yeah, I can see it on TV. Animal Control and Global Justice are coming in," Wade said.

"Wade, they can't shoot it! If they do …" Kim was cut off as the squirrel looked directly at her. "This is so not right," she said to herself as she saw the paw reach out in her direction.

"Drakken! Can you get us out of here?"

Unfortunately for Kim, her arch foe was now curled up in a ball, sucking his thumb.

"Great," she muttered, trying the controls without success. "They're locked out." Kim decided she and her nemesis would have to abandon the flying car.

Kim was pulling out her grappler and was about to pick up Drakken when the squirrel, moving with surprising speed, reached out and grabbed her.

VIII.

"Looks like your girlfriend is gonna be squirrel bait, Stoppable," Shego said once she recovered from the initial shock of seeing a 60 foot-tall yard rodent walking up Broadway.

Ron glared at Shego.

"Oops. I forgot. Ex-girlfriend. She dumped you, didn't she? You'd probably be just as happy to see Squirrelzilla finish her off …"

Shego was taken by surprise when Ron sprang to his feet and grabbed the front of her jumpsuit.

"That doesn't matter. She's my best friend. Always has been, always will be. Got it?"

"Hey, chill out, buffoon," Shego said.

"No chilling. You're going to help me get her back," Ron said with determination.

"Yeah, right …" Shego said dismissively, before her words trailed off. She didn't like Ron's expression. It was quite unsettling. She found herself having Zorpox flashbacks.

"Anything happens to KP, I might snap, Shego. I might even go bad. You remember the last time? This time I might be interested in actually feeding the sharks," Ron growled menacingly.

"Okay, calm down, you're freaking me out, Stoppable. I'll help. Just stop looking at me that way. And let go of me."

"Remember. You double-cross me and …"

"… it's feeding time. Gotcha," a shaken Shego said. She pulled out the remote that Kim would have needed to fly the hovercar and pressed some buttons. The craft landed, with Drakken still inside sucking his thumb. Ron and Shego both shook their heads.

"Now you know why I ditched him for you," Shego said. "So, what's the plan, sidekick?"

Ron rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn't done this in a long time. And coming up with a plan was usually Kim's job.

"He's a squirrel. He likes nuts. We get him some nuts."

"You gotta be kidding me."

"You have a better idea?"

Shego looked blankly at Ron.

"Didn't think so. Go to Imperial Filbert at 999 Canarsie Boulevard and fill this thing up with as many nuts as you can." Ron was glad he'd gone to that restaurant supply show the week before; otherwise he'd never have met the purveyor of fine nuts or learned about his warehouse.

"What then?" Shego asked.

"It's feeding time," Ron said.

"Okay," she replied, confused. "Here, you'll need this," she said handing him the hovercar remote after she pressed some buttons. "I've just put the car on manual so I can fly it, but you'll be able to use this when you need it."

"Badical," Ron said, before he began to push through the crowd.

"Hey, where are you going?" Shego asked.

"I've got to get something," he called back out over his shoulder. "Keep your phone on. I'll call to tell you what to do next."

Ron already had a good idea as to where the squirrel was going. He may have been new to New York, but Ron knew there was only one must-visit building in Manhattan if you were a giant, rampaging animal.

The Empire State Building.

IX.

"Put me down!" Kim demanded. "You are so going to be busted for this!"

Kim squirmed, trying to break loose of the yard rodent's grip, but to no avail. She was trapped. And much to her annoyance, she'd lost the Kimmunicator, her grappler, and her purse with all of her gadgets, back in the hovercar.

_I wonder what Ron's doing?_ Kim asked herself. Something told her he would be on his way. But what he'd do was completely beyond her.

She looked around, taking in the cars screeching to a halt and the pedestrians pointing up and screaming as the squirrel made its way down Fifth Avenue. It was then she noticed Ron running, faster than she'd ever seen him run before.

She waved frantically at him, even though he was a good block behind them.

Kim saw him look up and wave back. He was yelling something, but she couldn't make out what, though she thought he might be saying "I'm coming, KP! And I love you!" She wasn't sure. But she realized that that was what she hoped he was saying, as she was engulfed with regret for the past and hope for the future.

She didn't have too much time to watch Ron, though. He surprised her by turning off onto 35th Street. _What's he doing?_ she wondered. One thing she was sure of: Ron wasn't ditching her. Kim knew that, recalling the time at Wannaweep when Ron disappeared, only to return to save the day. She knew something similar was happening. She just hoped it didn't involve Ron subjecting himself to radical genetic mutation.

X.

Ron turned onto 35th Street because that's where he lived. He unlocked the front door of his building and got on the elevator. Once he reached his floor, he ran down the corridor to his apartment and went in. He went to his closet and began rummaging through things, then found what he wanted.

His old jet pack.

He checked the batteries and confirmed the unit still worked.

"Boo. Yah," Ron said with satisfaction. "Houston, we have liftoff …"

He was about to leave when he saw a pair of very small, angry eyes staring at him.

"Hey, Little Buddy, I'd take you, but it's been a while since I've been in mission mode and you're getting a bit old for this."

Rufus, now 13 years old, stood with his arms folded against his little chest.

"How about I promise that you, Kim, and me will go to the new Grande Bueno Nacho in Times Square after I save her. Nacos with extra cheese for all!"

Rufus suddenly brightened, at both the mention of Kim's name and the idea of cheese.

Ron grinned at his little friend. "You got it, Rufus. Kim and I talked tonight. And I think it was good. But I've got to go help her first, okay?"

"Hokay!" the now happy naked mole rat squeaked with approval. He very much wanted to see his two humans reunited.

XI.

Kim decided that describing her current sitch as level ten weirdness didn't begin to do justice to what was going on. The squirrel, with her in its grip, had begun scaling the Empire State Building.

Kim gritted her teeth as the squirrel's claws tore at her dress.

"Grrr! Do you know how much this cost me!" she snarled in frustration and anger. Given the danger she was in, she knew her wardrobe was by no means her greatest concern. But it tweaked her that she'd once again lost a perfectly good piece of evening wear to the creation of some whack villain. Besides, it was better to dwell on that rather than the fact that she was being carried to the top of the tallest building in New York City by a giant squirrel, and had no means of escape.

She didn't know where her captor came from, but at that moment she was willing to put money – lots of it – down on her current predicament being the doing of DNAmy. It was a good thing Kim Possible wasn't a gambling woman; if she had been, and she had been able to place a wager, she would have lost her bet.

XII.

Ron slid the door open and went out to the small deck that abutted his loft. He looked up at the towering form of the Art Deco skyscraper; it was one of the things that had drawn him to this apartment. He could see the squirrel making its ascent. It was moving quickly and Ron saw that it had already reached the Observation Deck on the 86th floor.

Ron strapped on the jet pack then pulled out his cell phone.

"Shego?"

"Yeah, I'm here, Stoppable. Got a hovercar filled with two tons of filberts."

"Badical. I'm taking control of it," he said, pressing the command button on the remote he'd taken from Shego.

"What next?"

"Disappear."

"What?"

"It's your Get Out Of Jail Free card, Shego. You helped me, I'm helping you. Just try to stay out of trouble for a while, 'kay? Besides, somebody's got to take care of Drakken, who, I'm willing to bet, is still sucking his thumb."

"You sure about this, Stoppable?"

"Yeah. Right now, it's just me and the squirrel, going mano a mano. And he's going down."

_TBC …_


	3. The Empire State Building

Thanks to Commander Argus, Moss Royal, calamite, JPMod, Ace Ian Combat, Josh84, Ultimate Naco Topping, TexasDad, Zaratan, Seamus Dubh, Yuri Sisteble, The Incredible Werekitty, JeanieBeanie33, daywalkr82, campy, qtpie235, conan98002, The Odd Little Turtle, momike, Ezbok58a, JMAN2.0, Lil-Lyon, strength-91-possibility-none, surfost, WhiteLadyoftheRing, and Darkcloud1 for reviewing.

Thanks to everyone for reading!

Special thanks to campy for proofing and beta-reading. A bag of nuts is in the mail …

Leave a review, and you'll get a personal response or your money back. Still guaranteed!

You saw it on _KP_, it belongs to Disney

* * *

I. 

_Well, at least it's a great view of the city_, Kim thought as she admired the brilliantly lit metropolis below. She and the squirrel were now perched atop the Empire State Building, more than 100 stories above street level. This was easily the most bizarre sitch she'd ever found herself in, and that was saying a lot considering she'd once switched bodies with Ron and on another occasion gone full monkey. Kim continued to beat against the squirrel's paw; she had even tried biting it, knowing she'd have to get a rabies shot. Still the giant yard rodent would not release her.

_This is so way beyond weird_, Kim mused.

The night was clear and cold. She could see for miles around. She scanned the skyline, wondering how Ron would come.

Ron.

She'd run into him less than two hours ago for the first time in years and he was already once again an integral part of her life. _What was I thinking?_ she asked herself. _He may not have been the perfect guy, but he was the perfect guy for me. And I told him he wasn't good enough and broke his heart. I was such the idiot. I guess anything really is possible for a Possible. I so hope he's willing to give us – be honest, Possible, me – a second chance._

Kim knew that Global Justice would try something; they had to. Losing their star agent to a rampaging mutant squirrel would not look good at budget time. But it was Ron she was counting on.

_Yo, KP, I've got your back …_

Kim smiled as she recalled the lyric from the _Naked Mole Rap_, which she began humming. She found it very comforting.

II.

Shego was troubled. Not just by the fact that she was now in Stoppable's debt, but by what was going down. It was one thing to be taken out by Possible, with an assist by her one-time, once-again sidekick. But to have someone else succeed in defeating Kim by using a squirrel – no matter how large – when she had just failed stuck in her craw.

The question for Shego was who was behind the squirrel. Unlike Kim, she knew that DNAmy wasn't at fault; the erstwhile member of Team Go had it on good information that the mad geneticist was in Asia, trying to locate her crush, Monkey Fist. Killigan didn't do animals and while Dementor did like outsized dachshunds, this just wasn't his style. Seniors? A giant squirrel just didn't seem elegant enough for the billionaire villain and his son wasn't capable of managing a normal-sized squirrel, let alone one 60 feet tall. Gemini? A giant squirrel didn't seem Blofeldian enough; besides, it would probably freak out the Chihuahua. Lucre? It would cost too much to feed an animal that size. Yapsby? If it didn't involve bugs, he wasn't interested. The BeBes? Not their style. Monkey Fist? His interest was monkeys and his beef had always been with Stoppable; besides, he was busy hiding from DNAmy. That left one possibility.

Adrena Lynn.

Shego pulled out and turned on her pocket TV. There was the blonde broadcaster, standing at the base of the Empire State Building.

"Kim Possible has been defeated by a … sk-wirrell," Adrena Lynn announced with great glee. "Freaky! Will it eat her? Or throw her to her doom? Stay tuned and find out after this freaky commercial break!"

Shego arched her eyebrow, then looked at Drakken. She was grateful that Doctor D had wanted a lair in Brooklyn; it wasn't far from the nut warehouse the sidekick had sent her to. Drakken was now resting quietly, thanks to some sleeping pills washed down with cocoa moo; he'd be safe on his own.

Shego decided the time had come for her to make a cameo appearance on _Freaky New Year's Eve_.

III.

Ron rocketed into the air, taking position by the 60th floor, where he awaited the arrival of the filbert-laden hovercar. The monitor on the remote told him it was moving quickly and would be there shortly. While he waited, he looked down. He noticed that Fifth Avenue had been cleared of traffic and pedestrians. Global Justice and the police were prepared in case the squirrel fell. He wondered if they were bothering to worry about Kim.

Kim. A couple of hours ago she walked back into his life. At the time, he was ecstatic, even giddy. She really seemed to want to kiss him. And she said she wanted to talk about 'us.' Ron couldn't deny his excitement. He'd never stopped caring about her, even after she'd hurt him. And she'd hurt him bad, leaving him not for some other guy, but because he wasn't up to snuff.

He'd thought long and hard about that. He was angry that she thought he wasn't smart enough for her. She'd known when they began dating that he'd never be as smart as her. There was nothing he could do about that. But there had been other things he could have done.

He had known about her Type A try-to-do-anything personality long before they started dating – and what had he really done to accommodate that? Step up on a couple of missions? Not much else. He continued to be a slacker, to coast, even when she encouraged him to try harder, to do more with his talents. Maybe if he'd tried to do better sooner, things would have been different.

_Well, she can't say I'm not trying my best now_, Ron thought. _I sure have come a long way from the Middleton High School Home Ec room – heck, even Mr. B. is proud of me now!_

The hovercar approached and Ron began to head up to Kim.

He recalled sitting in the tree house eight years ago and talking about coming to Manhattan for New Year's Eve. Well, Kim was wearing the earrings. And they were in New York for the big night. It was a start. Maybe this time they could make it work.

IV.

Will Du led the squadron of GJ hoverjets in over New Jersey towards Manhattan. His first priority was neutralizing the squirrel. Then he would worry about Possible.

V.

Kim noticed the increase in air traffic. There were now TV news helicopters circling the building. She could detect the contrails of the GJ hoverjets streaking in from the west. And then – what she hoped to see – Ron in his old jet pack. She was so glad he kept that and not the Kimmunicator. What she couldn't figure out was why he was being followed by Drakken's hovercar.

VI.

"Yo, KP!" Ron called out, "You okay?"

"Spankin'!" she said, flashing him an electric smile. "It's so not the drama!" she added with a nonchalant wave of her hand.

"Great, here's what –"

"Watch out!" Kim screamed as the squirrel turned to Ron and hissed, then swatted at him with his free paw. Ron dipped and avoided the potentially lethal blow and circled back round. He'd hoped to explain his plan to Kim, but now knew he'd have little time to execute her rescue, let alone talk with her. He mouthed two words at her.

She saw his face. Kim could see that Ron was asking her to trust him.

She looked at him and nodded. Right now, there was nobody else in the world she would trust more.

Ron looked down at his remote and moved the hovercar into position.

"Hey, squirrel dude, you hungry? How about some nuts?" Ron called out, as he inched the hovercar closer to the squirrel's face. He saw its nose twitch and its ears wiggle. Ron pulled the hovercar back and saw the rodent strain. He moved the car back in, then out. _One more time, I bet_, Ron thought.

He moved the hovercar in close to the squirrel, whose appetite was now aroused, then pulled the craft back. As expected, the critter dropped Kim and lunged for the filberts.

VII.

Shego eyed the police barriers that stood between her and Adrena Lynn and her satellite broadcast truck. Something told her that the resolution to the giant squirrel problem was inside the vehicle. She flared up her hands, cut through the saw horses and made her way to the broadcaster.

"Kim Possible is falling! F-reaky … Huh?"

"You know, your voice really annoys me," Shego said as she took the mike from an astonished Adrena Lynn, before kicking the video camera from the hands of the TV personality's shocked assistant. Shego then she grabbed Adrena Lynn by the collar. "Something tells me you're the reason for that freaky super-sized squirrel that's about to squash us. You gonna do something about it?"

Adrena Lynn, who'd been so caught up in watching Kim Possible be defeated, only then realized that she and her truck would soon be flattened by the falling squirrel. She looked lost. Shego growled and shook her head, then climbed into the back of the vehicle. She quickly scanned the controls, redirected the radar dish, and pressed the button labeled 'Fire Control.'

"I sure hope this works," Shego muttered. "Going out this way would kill my rep in the evil community …"

VIII.

As Kim began falling, she instinctively reached for her grappler, then cursed when she remembered it wasn't there. Much to her relief, Ron swooped in and caught her.

"Need a lift?" he asked.

"Corny much?" she replied.

"Hey, you want I can send you back to the squirrel."

"No thanks … oh my gosh, Ron. Look!"

Ron had begun heading down towards street level when he saw a beam lance out from a truck and hit the squirrel, which shrank back to normal size. The now pint-sized critter continued its fall to the street below.

"KP, reach into my pocket and get the hovercar control."

She did as Ron told her, then piloted the car to catch the squirrel.

Ron, with Kim in his arms, and the hovercar, laden with nuts and a very happy normally-sized squirrel, landed at the same time.

Ron set Kim down, then took off the jet pack. Neither Kim nor Ron noticed the TV crews and cameras; at that moment they just saw each other.

"Thanks, Ron. You rock," Kim said softly.

"Hey, as my best friend likes to say, 'No big'!"

Kim's face lit up when Ron uttered the words 'my best friend.'

"Is that the one who used to be your girlfriend?"

"Yeah, I think so," he said.

"Think maybe we can go back to the way we were?" she asked hopefully.

Ron looked into Kim's eyes. "No, I don't."

Kim was stunned. She was sure Ron wanted to kiss her back in the restaurant and that he'd yelled that he loved her.

Ron looked into her eyes and saw intense disappointment, which was all the confirmation he needed that she really wanted this as much as he did. "KP," he said sagely "I think Danny said it best in the _Agony County Reunion_ show. 'Charity, we can never go back, but we can always go forward.'"

Kim's look of disappointment was replaced by one of understanding as she realized what he was saying.

"You know," he then added, "I think the timing on this is pretty cool. Being a bon-diggity star chef makes me a pretty good match for the girl who can do anything, don't ya think?"

Kim smiled, then wrapped her arms around Ron's neck and brought her lips to his. It had been years since she'd last kissed him and Kim wanted him to know how much she'd missed doing that while wanting to savor every moment of it.

The news crews were eating it up, their cameras focusing on the scene as the pretty auburn-haired hero in her tattered black dress and the goofy-looking blond in the chef's uniform kissed passionately.

Of course, all good things must come to an end.

"Okay, enough with the kissy face. You two make me sick," Shego said.

Kim looked at her long-time foe. "Come to turn yourself in, Shego?"

"Not tonight, Princess. I think, technically, I'm still Stoppable's sidekick."

"What?" Kim asked, clearly confused.

"Long story, I'll explain later," Ron said. "What are you doing here, Shego?"

"I don't like being in anyone's debt, especially if they're smash-mouthing Kimmie here. The squirrelmeister, otherwise known as Adrena Lynn, is tied up in the back of her truck. I think there's enough evidence to send her away for a long time. The hours of video of Princess she forced the rodent to watch should get her five to 10 on animal abuse charges alone. Anyway, I think that makes us even."

"Thanks, Shego," Ron said.

"You're welcome," she replied as she turned to walk away.

"Yo, Shego," Ron said as he took the hovercar control and tossed it to the glamorous villain. "You probably want to make yourself scarce. I think GJ's about to arrive."

Shego glared at Ron. "Just gotta keep me in your debt, don't ya, sidekick?"

Ron grinned.

Shego allowed herself a small smile, jumped in the hovercar, and called out "Happy New Year, lovebirds!" as she took off.

Kim and Ron were watching the hovercar fly into the distance as Will Du emerged from his hoverjet.

Du ran over to the two one-time partners. "Kimberly, you let Shego escape!"

"Uh, dude, shouldn't you be asking her how she is?" a tweaked Ron asked.

"It's no big, Ron," Kim said, used to Will's underdeveloped social skills. For him, all that mattered was the mission objective; personnel always came second.

"She is obviously fine," he said to Ron, "But that villain, who is wanted in twelve countries, has gotten away." Will then turned to Kim and continued, "You realize that questions will be asked and inquiries launched at GJ. This will not reflect well on you."

"So not my problem, Will," Kim said breezily.

"What are you talking about?" her GJ colleague asked.

"I think it's time for me to go back to being a free-lancer. I thought I might want a sidekick, but then decided I'd do better with a partner. I've even got somebody in mind" she said with a smile as she looked at Ron. "He's weird, but I know I like him."

"Huh. Sounds kind of like some dude I know," Ron replied, cocking his eyebrow as if trying to recall a face. Then, looking directly at Kim while wearing his goofy grin, he said, "If I were you, I'd definitely try to sign him up. Offer him a multi-naco deal. "

"Hmm. That sounds like good advice," Kim agreed, before asking, "So, you got game?"

"For you, yeah," he said. Ron loved being a chef, but he also loved being in the field. And he loved being with Kim even more. He'd find a way to make this work.

Kim smiled and reached up and kissed Ron again. "So, what now, Chef Boy?"

"Well, I don't know of any tree houses in the 'hood, but if you're up for it, I know of a pretty funky loft on 35th Street where a naked mole rat might be willing to give us some privacy. We need to talk, maybe, uh, do some other things. You want me to take you there?"

"Please and thank you," Kim replied as she hooked her arm through Ron's.

IX.

_New Year's Eve, one year later …_

The night was cold and clear. Kim and Ron walked, hand in hand, until they found themselves at the base of the old tree house. They looked knowingly at one another, then proceeded up to their aerie.

They could see their breath when they exhaled but that just gave them more reason to cuddle. They opened their parkas and drew close to one another, looking into each other's eyes, then began kissing.

After a while, Ron opened a bottle of champagne and the two lovers exchanged silly toasts to the future and to one another. They kissed again. And again. And again.

They turned the Kimmunicator on and tuned in the New Year's broadcast from New York, joining in the countdown as midnight approached and celebrating the new year by making out some more.

When they came up for air, Ron reached into his pocket and withdrew a small box for Kim.

"I got this for you, KP," he said with a sheepish grin.

"Ron …" she replied.

"C'mon, open it," he said.

Kim tore off the paper, removed the lid and cooed. "It's beautiful!"

"Will you marry me, Kim?"

"I'd love to, Ron," she said, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

Kim beamed as Ron removed the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger.

Then she embraced him and gave him an extra-special New Year's kiss.

The End.


End file.
